Will GPS work in London?

dizzywizzy · #1 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 12:57 PM

Hi,

Going to London for a week, I know that I can not get phone service there with my Diamond, but will I be able to use the phone with my naviagations software? Will it still pick up GPS signal without phone service?

Thanks!!

**Curb71** · #2 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 01:44 PM

maybe, maybe not. I would guess no cause even GPS units you would buy do not come loaded with maps of the world. There is probably GPS software for the diamond you cfan buy that has maps for london for extra money. I'd call Sprint and ask them if data usage outside the US costs extra too.

**schettj** · #3 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 01:57 PM

We went through this with the titan on sprint.

Titan - no.

I brought my AT&T Tilt over, and it worked great. It did have a "native" O2 sim card in it at the time.

Also used an off-the-shelf HP/ipaq navigator (WM5!) which took forever to lock, but also worked.

So aGPS, not so much w/o signal, even in standalone mode

And yes, you'll want to buy those UK maps.

It is VERY worth it to have SOME kind of GPS there. Street signs are a joke, and you really want to be focusing on "STAY ON THE LEFT!!!!" and not a map. A GPS that says "second exit" when you go into the rotary is worth its weight in gold.

Oh, wait. if you are going to LONDON only, forget the GPS. Get a Tube map. Forget the Car.

Tube + walk. It's I think 18 pounds for a 3 day pass. Well worth it.

Enjoy the trip

dizzywizzy · #4 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schettj

We went through this with the titan on sprint.

Titan - no.

I brought my AT&T Tilt over, and it worked great. It did have a "native" O2 sim card in it at the time.

Also used an off-the-shelf HP/ipaq navigator (WM5!) which took forever to lock, but also worked.

So aGPS, not so much w/o signal, even in standalone mode

And yes, you'll want to buy those UK maps.

It is VERY worth it to have SOME kind of GPS there. Street signs are a joke, and you really want to be focusing on "STAY ON THE LEFT!!!!" and not a map. A GPS that says "second exit" when you go into the rotary is worth its weight in gold.

Oh, wait. if you are going to LONDON only, forget the GPS. Get a Tube map. Forget the Car.

Tube + walk. It's I think 18 pounds for a 3 day pass. Well worth it.

Enjoy the trip

Thank you- I guess I should have elaborated, I have an Diamond with the GPS enabled, and also have the navigations software igo8 and a London map for it.

I lived in London for 4 years so yeah, the tube is the way to go

I'm just going to be traveling to some different areas, and thought it might be handy.

**Darkness231** · #5 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 03:36 PM

Funny, one of my co-workers just left for London on Thursday. He took his (my old) titan with him. He has TomTom7 and the western Europe maps. I told him I was not sure that it would work or not.

lxcivic4life · #6 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 06:23 PM

I can confirm that GPS will NOT work on CDMA phones overseas unless there is CDMA coverage in that country, which I think all of Europe is GSM. In order for GPS to turn on or be activated, you must have cellphone service. However, when I travel overseas, I take a Holux bluetooth GPS reciever with me. It works great with TomTom and Google maps. It does not require the phone to be connected to any service but does drain the battery pretty fast.

chapinrico · #7 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 10:56 PM

Not true. Using google maps i made sure that before I left toronto I had the last page of google maps on mexico and guatemala. I constantly was able to get a gps location. No cell phone service in Guatemala I just used the map that stays on the phones memory....could not zoom in to update phone but I was able to see exactly where i was all the time....without ever having cell phone service. So before you leave make sure u go into google maps and leave it on a position you are ok with to see ur position...once in London start up google maps and us gps...map will not update but gps will work.

**MrObvious** · #8 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 11:25 PM

Wrong. AGPS won't work. GPS will. The problem is (just like the 6800) GPS signals are crap to lock on with. So it will take a while but will work in standalone mode. Just try to set it via the registry to GPSMode 1 and then you should get locks through the GPS only. Also do things like use HTC's QuickGPS and prime it with Google Maps or Baf's GPS doohicky.

infection0 · #9 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lxcivic4life

I can confirm that GPS will NOT work on CDMA phones overseas unless there is CDMA coverage in that country..

I am pleased to announce that you're wrong about that... I take the phone into Airplane mode (no service) and my GPS can lock on. It takes longer, about a minute in good conditions, but that's all. The Diamond DOES have a standalone GPS like your Holux built right in. What won't work is Sprint Navigation or anything that needs to download data. If you have a standalone program like TomTom already, then it should work.

SporkLover · #10 (**permalink**) 02-13-2009, 11:54 PM

I could never get GPS in Europe to work with my Mogul, but you will be able to with your Diamond.... with or without coverage.

Quick test... turn off the Cell Radio and try to get a GPS lock.... it will work

I already have with my TP